Title: Axin' the Important Question
Series Title: None
Disclaimer: I do not own them.
Rating: PG
Author's Note: A short one shot that takes place during 'Make Things Even'. A part of my TMTC or H.E. 'verse. But can be read as a stand alone.
2520
August 22
She sat at the edge of the catwalk and let her legs dangle off the sides. It accorded to her more then once that if she wanted to, she could just slid down and happily walk out of the cargo bay; stairs were for people that were too slow or too scared to jump.
It was late and everyone else was asleep, which meant their thoughts were just playing along the edges of her brain pan.
"Core, Rim, Border; planets. Kaylee, Captain, and Jayne are all from Rim planets." River whispered to herself as she wrapped a piece of gray string around her long fingers. "Ita, Shadow, and Muir." River paused thoughtfully. "Book and Wash are from Boarder worlds. Zoe grew up on a ship. Inara, Simon, and River are from the Core. People from every place."
"River." A very low voice said beside her.
River glanced up to see Jayne. She offered him one of her 'just for Jayne' smiles and nodded for him to take a seat beside her. "Jayne."
"River." It was then that River noticed Jayne's voice sounded funny. Jayne's voice was all low and nervous and kind of cracking. Jayne was much too old to have his voice changing, wasn't he? "I got…I kind of…" Jayne wiped his sweaty hands on his pants legs.
River wrinkled her nose up. Jayne was all sweaty; just like he got when he worked out or after a job. River mentally went over Jayne's problems: sweaty, voice cracking, voice too low and too nervous, nervously moving in his spot beside her. He wasn't sick or anything, that much River could figure out. And they had only been courting for two months, so he couldn't be proposing marriage.
"River…" Jayne was trying again. "Ya know that I've been lovin' ya f'r a long while now an'… aw, hell, River, I…"
"No!" She gave him a very icy glare. "Bad Jayne, you're early." The girl stood up and towered over a sitting Jayne. "Three weeks, wait!" With that said, River stormed off the catwalk, down the stairs, and toward the dinning room.
Jayne cursed under his breathe and was right behind her a moment later.
He found her angrily putting the cans and protein packs in ABC order. "River." Jayne firmly said her name as he walked over to stand beside her. "I was talkin' at ya."
"No longer hearing you." River muttered back.
Slightly annoyed, Jayne gently took River's arm and forced her to turn and face him. "Time ain't nothin' ta worry on. Ain't ya always sayin' it's just a mode of cycles 'round a sun or some such?" River didn't meet his eyes. "Well, Serenity ain't been 'round a sun f'r weeks." He took his free hand and put it under her chin. "Look." He forced her to meet his gaze. "River, baby, I'm axin'."
"Axing what?" She asked in a very serious tone, though there was a teasing spark in her big eyes. "There are no trees on board. Chop the cherry tree and get a licking from father; truth tellers always have to pay for being true."
"Cherry?" Jayne let out a lewd and throaty chuckle. "I can think of one place where there's a cherry I'd like ta chop inta."
For the second time that night, River wrinkled her nose up. "Disgust." She stated flatly. "Coarse comments are not welcomed." She gracefully moved away from his grips and found her way to the table, where she sat in Mal's usual chair.
Jayne sighed deeply before following her and grabbing a seat to her right. "Okay, sorry. Jus' I ain't had trim in over a year. It's been me an' my cod an' pictures of ya an'…" he leaned in close, embarrassed to tell the empty room. "an' masturbatin' ain't cuttin' it no more." Again, River made a disgusted face. "Sorry!" Jayne held his hands up in defense. "Sorry, baby, jus' got carried away."
River gave a little nod. "Forgiven, Jayne."
He breathed a small sigh of relief. "So…there's that question." He gave her a very serious look. "Ya goin' let me ax ya or ya goin' be cheeky?" River cocked her head to one side and gave him a look. "Right." Jayne nervously cleared his throat. He knew what her answer would be, she had told him two months or so ago and yet, he was nervous as all hell. "Wantta git hitched?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Wantta jump the broom?" Jayne gave her big puppy dog eyes. "Well?"
In every scenario that River had come up with, this had not been the way things had gone. Jayne was not the romantic type, but it was like he wasn't even trying. It was like he was asking her if she wanted his left over coffee or something.
"River, do ya…ya do wantta?" Jayne pressed. "I mean, ya said…'two, four, six.'"
She nodded slowly. "River said that. We must keep things even." She swallowed and looked him straight in the eyes. "She loves him and he loves her. Marriage would be the next logical step. Marriage offer is accepted."
Jayne broke out into a huge smile and let out a rather loud 'whop' noise. Before River knew it, Jayne had taken her out of the chair and was giving her a huge bear hug. "I swear I'll make ya happy, darlin'." He set her in front of him and took a little box out of his pants pocket. "The ring." Jayne began to fumble with it, but he got it out and let it stay in his big hand for a second. "River, I wantta marry ya, 'cause I love you and I'll treat ya right and I'll never hurt you or nothin.'" He gave her a huge smile as he slipped the ring on her finger.
River returned the smile as she admired her new ring. "Second marriage proposal was better then first."
"You been axed before?" Jayne asked with a confused look and a jealous tone.
River shook her head and gave him a 'you can be so silly' look. "If she had been 'axed', she would be dead." River told him in a very serious tone.
Jayne blushed slightly before leaning down to give her a sweet and somewhat sloppy kiss on the mouth. "That ain't w'at I meant, baby."
River shrugged again. "Answer of question: Jayne is the first in every way and I like it that way." Before Jayne could respond, River stood on her tip toes and gave him a little kiss on the mouth.